The Living WordSýnishorn

The Living Word

The missionary pleaded with the Zimbabwean man to receive Christ, but the Zimbabwean wasn’t about to accept Christ, much less a free copy of the New Testament, without resistance.

He replied, “If you give me that New Testament, I will roll the pages and use them to make cigarettes.” Unfazed by the insult, the missionary replied, “I understand, but will you at least read the page before you smoke it?” The man agreed, snatched the New Testament from his hand, and left.

Have you ever had a similar encounter where you’ve tried to share the gospel, but the situation turned hostile when you mentioned the Bible or Jesus? The Bible is the most translated, purchased, and read book in the world and makes bold and unique claims about its power. It’s no wonder Satan opposes it.

The ministry of the Word takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s hard-hitting, like a fire, a hammer, or a sword. Other times, it’s more subtle, like a seed that takes root and lays dormant before it grows. Peter tells us the Word of God is living—like a seed, but unlike every other seed, this one never perishes and lasts forever. Unlike grass, which only lasts for a season, and flowers, which fade away in all their beauty, the living Word of God and the plantings it produces endure forever.

A farmer doesn’t cause seeds to grow but faithfully plants and waters them. Despite his careful tending, the seeds he sows sometimes lay dormant for a long time. Therefore, we remember, it’s not our cleverly devised arguments that bring about new life but the powerful work of God's imperishable and never-fading Word.

We don’t know if an imperishable seed has taken root in our uncomfortable and sometimes hostile conversations. However, once in a while, the Lord allows us to see the growth of his imperishable seed, as was the case for the missionary in Zimbabwe.

Fifteen years after that encounter, the missionary was sitting at a conference when, to his surprise, the speaker addressed him from the podium. The speaker was none other than the Zimbabwean man who had snatched the New Testament from his hand all those years ago. The speaker said, “This man doesn’t remember me, but he gave me a copy of the New Testament. I smoked Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but when I got to John 3:16, I couldn’t smoke anymore. At that moment, my life changed.” He, who had once been hostile to the gospel, became a full-time evangelist, sharing the living Word of God with others.

So don't lose heart! Keep sowing seeds and entrusting God with the increase, for his living and abiding Word never returns to him empty—even when it seems at first to go up in smoke.